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Talk:Highlander
Trivia: Center of Balance What exactly does "...properly utilizes one's center of balance..." actually mean? Perhaps its just phased poorly but as far as I can tell, there isn't anything especially noteworthy about the way the Highlander uses his sword beyond the specific longsword guards he adopts in each of his Stances. -Kingfisher2376 (talk) 05:11, September 28, 2019 (UTC) : When fighting, center of mass/balance refers to the central balancing point of the body that you should hold for the best results. A solid center of balance leads to good control of your body (and in this case, the weapon), leading to better results in combat. If you do not maintain this center of balancing, you are vulnerable to being knocked off balance or cause inconsistency in your reach. : If you consider how large weapon in most fiction are used, there is little to no adherence to this center of balance. They are swung like paperweight, but in reality, there is a lot of momentum behind a heavy blade, and just having more strength does not cope with this increase of momentum. However, with the Highlander, it seems the Development Team took an extra step to make the Highlander's combat style grounded. He rests the Claymore on or close to his body during Defensive Stance instead of holding it up and slightly away as the Warden does with his longsword. Even in Offensive Stance or his Celtic Curse where he is much more aggressive with the blade, he keeps his own body as the center point of balance, the axel of all the strikes as he keeps control of the momentum of his blade. I'd even say that his Defensive Lights are intriguing, as he uses only the tip of the blade while placing his other hand on the middle of the blade, creating a way for him to yet again maintain momentum. : TLDR: Highlander doesn't act like how most fictional characters wield a large blade. His movements not only show control of his momentum, but his stance also allows him to have a solid foundation to use such a large weapon to its greatest potential. If you have any other questions, ask away. Green Moriyama (talk) 23:59, September 28, 2019 (UTC) :: But that's just it: For Honor isn't most fiction. What you're describing is the same basic fencing mechanics replicated by almost all of the sword wielding Hero's. For instance, the Warden holds his longsword close to his body in a manner that reduced the strain of holding the weapon (for reference, the Center of Mass to a western sword was a couple of inches from the guard). Also like the Warden, when he does launch his Heavy attacks, the Highlander throws himself into the wild arcs that, in all fairness, would pull him of his feet if the Claymore were being portrayed as a "Fantastically Heavy Weapon" (Ie: a weapon that drastically alters the wielder's Center of Mass). :: Basically, one does not "use" their center of balance so much as "maintain it," which all Heroes currently do. And if the Claymore were relevantly heavy enough to affect the Highlander's Center of Mass, he would fall over after every Heavy attack. :: As for his "Half Swording" (Light Attack), that's not to "maintain momentum" because he has no momentum (intertia of motion) in the first place. What half-swording did was shift the Center of Rotation forward of the sword's Center of Mass offering the swordsman greater leverage and control. While interesting, as the Warden only half-swords during his crushing counter, it does not actually have anything especially to do with the fighters' center of balance. :: If you want, I can add some notes about the specific longsword stances he (and Warden) use but beyond that, there isn't anything fundamentally unique about the way Highlander carries his sword that diviates form the norms as set by Ubisoft -Kingfisher2376 (talk) 02:39, September 29, 2019 (UTC) :::I apologize if my explanations are full of holes and misunderstands. While I have practiced martial arts, my learnings of weapons are limited, and some of my knowledge is second-hand from my brother who practices in HEMA. I also was pretentious, as I assumed you were speaking from an inexperienced standpoint, so some of my babble were with the intention of speaking to someone who may not have understood the term "center of balance." I stand corrected on a number of items in regards to what I had argued. :::However, I still stand with including the notes, as I see this akin to trivia that are applied to other Heroes and their page, such as the Shinobi's Kusarigami trivia or the trivia about different stances he takes during Qi Stance for the Shaolin. Because For Honor is not "most fiction" and even more represents a blade that is more than often used wildly, I personally find it that it should be included and not simply treated as "norms as set by Ubisoft." These are norms that someone learned may know (thus not consider "not fundamentally unique"), but to many others it isn't. On the otherhand, these trivia pieces (while trivia are supposedly about pointless facts) that explains facts that are contrary to popular belief, shouldn't be trivialized. For me personally, I would like to recognize that Ubisoft chose to put time into how Highlander uses his blade (in comparison to Hitokiri who I believe has a number of animations that bother me and defy the said "norm"). :::Nonetheless, if you would like to add the details about the specific longsword stances (which I wouldn't be familiar enough with), please, that would be fantastic. I'd still like to preserve that trivia, even if it doesn't seem so unique to you. I should probably also ask my brother for an opinion, and if I am actually exaggerating this trivia. Green Moriyama (talk) 21:47, September 29, 2019 (UTC) :::: I think I kind of butchered my argument. To clarify: the Scottish Claymore and the more relevant Renaissance Greatswords are not especially heavy weapons. The largest swords, often called "Zweihanders" in modern pop-culture, were only 7-8 pounds, and could be spun about like an airplane propeller. So, while I now understand your position, I simply find it to be factually incorrect... -Kingfisher2376 (talk) 04:22, October 5, 2019 (UTC) :::::Certainly, but that's probably the part of the FH universe that is fictional, where they are enlarging or "making heavier" a handful of the weapons to seem more monstrous, one being the Kanabo for the Shugoki. However, you are right where, in reality, swords are not as heavy as they are exaggerated in games/fiction, and I'm just giving into the want to "keep cool trivia." At this point, I concede to removing that part of the trivia (and if people cite it elsewhere... whatever). I look forward to what you will add for the Warden/Highlander in regards to stances. Green Moriyama (talk) 23:09, October 5, 2019 (UTC)